Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Who doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast? I regularly want to just have a chocolate bar for my breakfast but restrain myself. So a chocolate smoothie, especially one with healthy ingredients, is a great choice.

I discovered raw cacao a few years back and went through a phase of having it most mornings. It gave me a kind of buzz and set my day off to a great start. But as my health slowly improved, I got lazy and more and more went for ready made granola or cereal for breakfast because it was quicker and easier.

Nut butters are another great ingredient that I enjoy but haven’t properly introduced into my diet yet. I don’t really enjoy the all natural ones on rice cakes and still much prefer peanut butter with a little added sugar and salt. I am working on it though and found a really nice smooth peanut butter that is 100% peanuts. The other thing that puts me off is that you have to stir them and when they are quite full the oil ends up spilling over the sides and making the jar oily forever. But in smoothies I do like them. They add a creaminess and depth, along with a dose of healthy fats and energy.

Recipe (per person)

1 small Frozen Banana

1 heaped tbsp Hazelnut Butter

1 heaped tbsp Raw Cacao Powder (or Cocoa Powder)

Unsweetened Almond Milk (about a cup)

Optional:

1 tbsp Maple Syrup (or replace with preferred sweetener)

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

2 tbsp Gluten Free Oats

Blend everything up and serve. If you are using a fresh banana rather than frozen, throw in a couple of ice cubes to make it cold and thicker.

Having this for breakfast feels like such a treat but it’s completely healthy and full of ingredients that will keep you going all morning (or until snack time!).